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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265318">Tangled Strings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arabesqueangel/pseuds/Arabesqueangel'>Arabesqueangel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Banter, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Feels, M/M, Magical Accidents, Magical Artifacts, POV Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:15:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arabesqueangel/pseuds/Arabesqueangel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephen Strange is just going about his (admittedly boring) life post-Thanos. He finally gets some excitement in the form of a break-in. Actually, it's a bit pathetic that he is actually excited. Unfortunately, that break-in is due to Loki looking to steal some unknown artifact. When Stephen tries to stop him, their magics combine sending them to an odd, green world. It looks like they'll need to work together to get back, but seriously, it's Loki. How well is that going to go? Maybe Stephen should have learned by now to be careful what you wish for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Marvel Trumps Hate 2019</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to my submission for Marvel Trumps Hate 2019! You may notice an unusual pairing here. Yes, this is my very first non-Frostiron fic. I was both excited and terrified when my commissioner (who requested to remain anonymous) asked me if I would be willing to do Strangefrost. I think Frostiron will always be my OTP, but I do think there should be more Strangefrost in the world. This is such a fun paring that has some very similar snark and dynamics to Frotiron. I think the MCU really did these two an injustice. So here I am to help fix that!</p><p>Thank you again to my lovely benefactor for the fantastic prompt! I hope I do your idea (and your donation) justice! And to all of my lovely readers, I hope that you'll give this one a chance!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen Strange was Sorcerer Supreme of a mystical organization that had been protecting the world for thousands of years. Doctor Strange was one of the most accomplished and celebrated neurosurgeons in the country. Stephen, however, couldn’t cook anything more complicated than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He sighed as he tossed the grilled cheese that managed to be both charred on the outside and unmelted on the inside into the garbage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was relieved, however, that Wong wasn’t around to snicker at him. Annoyingly enough, Wong was an excellent cook, when he deigned to show off his skills. Mostly, he just seemed to want to go to the deli, on Stephen’s dime, but Stephen’s dime didn’t stretch particularly far nowadays. Sorcerer Supreme didn’t pay nearly as well as Head Neurosurgeon. Stephen grumbled as he grabbed the bread again, this time pulling out the peanut butter and jelly rather than the cheese. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not for the first time Stephen wished that he could use magic to just make himself a meal, but while he could conjure food from one place to another, possibly do some assembly, he couldn’t call food into being from nothing. It was one of those odd, but inalterable rules of the universe. He wouldn’t even consider stealing food, so here he was, trying to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the most dignified manner he could. His hands shook a bit with the effort of gripping even something so light and small. He could use magic to still them, of course, but it was a waste of energy that he just couldn’t afford. He needed to be prepared for threats at all times. Thanos had been defeated and the Infinity Stones destroyed, but there would always be more adversaries in the future. A selfish part of him, that still was far bigger than he’d like, couldn’t wait for a new threat. Boredom was a bitch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flipped on the radio that was sitting on the counter. It was an old-fashioned model, he could easily just pull up an app on his phone and listen to music tailored exactly to his taste, but he liked the aesthetic of the radio in the kitchen. It reminded him pleasantly of his childhood. He hummed along to the end of a song as he did his small number of dishes. Then the first, familiar bars of smooth jazz replaced the song and Stephen grimaced and flipped the radio back off. Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione, 1977. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Songs were funny, the way they could bring you back to such a specific moment in time. His very last surgery, when Stephen was on the top of the world. So confident, or arrogant, that he could concentrate more on a ridiculous game with his assistant than the literal brain surgery he had been doing. Stephen could remember so much about that day, about that surgery even, but he couldn’t recall a single detail about the patient he had been working on. Name, occupation, even gender, none of it had mattered then. It was a hard won lesson, but at least he had learned it eventually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Longing for a distraction, Stephen looked over at the cell phone that Tony Stark had given him in the aftermath of the war. The billionaire had asked him to keep in touch. That a call might come if they needed help and asked him to do the same. It hadn’t been used even once. Sure there had been threats for Stephen and the Avengers both, but nothing that would necessitate calling in assistance. No, other than the twice Stephen had been required to protect the world from outside forces, he’d mostly been rattling around the large, old building all by himself. Wong’s sparse visits the only break in the monotony. Damn, he was being pathetic. Maybe he should get a cat. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alrighty! Now we get into the meat of the story and a certain god of mischief makes his appearance!</p>
<p>Also, I feel like I already have so many kudos to pass out on people helping me out with this fic I’m trying to spread them out! Today’s HUGE thanks go to Elyrian_XIII for cheerreading and encouraging!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stephen watched the Cauldron of the Cosmos like most people watched television. Endlessly, mindlessly and because he had nothing better to do. At least Stephen had the excuse that it might actually lead to something productive. From the giant urn’s depths Stephen could monitor and track threats to Earth. It wasn’t foolproof; he had to be looking in the right place at the right time, but he had been able to stop many attacks before they had even started so it was worth it. Even if he sometimes stumbled upon sights that no one should ever have to see, and he wasn’t talking about the world-ending horrors.<br/>
A bell rang throughout the sanctum, pulling Stephen from this evening’s watching. He’d never heard this particular alarm before, but he knew that it was an alert that the wards had been breached. The reason he’d never heard the sound was that it was supposed to be an impossible feat. Then again, the order had believed that no one would defy them from within and leave with their secrets. Yet in Stephen’s (not particularly long) experience, that had happened twice, just not while he had been around to hear the alarms.<br/>
Stephen immediately worried that the intruder was Mordo. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would do when facing his former friend and mentor. He hadn’t caught sight of the man once in the Cauldron, so he had hoped that he had just set this life behind him and was content to leave it at that. Still, he knew Mordo well enough to doubt it.<br/>
Stephen was on alert, but he tensed further when he realized that the trespasser was in the relics room. There was a lot of damage someone could do with even one of those items, especially if they knew how to use it. Acting before Stephen even had time to think of it, the cloak pulled him off the ground so he could levitate silently to the room rather than alert the person with his footsteps.<br/>
The doctor just managed to stifle a sigh of relief when the figure he came to wasn’t Mordo. However, it wasn’t the time to let down his guard. Even with his back to Stephen, the sorcerer knew who the interloper was. The man was tall and thin with green and black leather armour and wavy black shoulder-length hair. Other than the height, the man’s stature was slight enough to be unassuming, but Stephen knew that was a fallacy. No, in order to come out on top in this endeavor, Stephen was going to have to best a god. Shouldn’t be a problem though, he’d done it before, with this one in particular even.<br/>
“What do you think you’re doing, Loki?” Stephen demanded.<br/>
Loki spun around with a smirk. Clenched in his hand was a necklace, the amulet on the gold chain glowing an acid green. Loki looked at the necklace, up at the ceiling where the alarms still sounded and back at Stephen, quirking his eyebrow in a look that seemed to say, ‘what does it look like, dumbass? I’m stealing’.<br/>
“I’m just visiting my favorite sorcerer,” Loki said easily, with a surprisingly charming smile. “I missed you, Stephen.”<br/>
Stephen was fairly sure the look on his face told Loki very clearly, ‘I don’t believe you for a second’ and also ‘ew’.<br/>
“You are not going to get away with stealing from the Sanctum,” Stephen commanded in his best lofty tone.<br/>
Loki actually snorted. “Think you can stop me?”<br/>
“I did it last time,” Stephen replied confidently.<br/>
“Last time you had the element of surprise,” Loki said with a glare.<br/>
Stephen just shrugged and without another word created a portal under Loki. Loki waved his hand and Stephen’s portal dissipated in a mist of gold sparks.<br/>
“I can’t believe you actually tried to pull the same stunt once again! Do you really think I’m that easy to best?” Loki spluttered, the absolutely appalled look on his face tickled Stephen to no end.<br/>
“Well, in just the last few years,” Stephen started counting on his fingers. “You’ve lost to your brother, then to the Avengers, then to the Dark Elves-”<br/>
“I helped Thor defeat the Dark Elves,” Loki argued.<br/>
“You got stabbed,” Stephen countered.<br/>
“That was my plan!” Loki was getting seriously worked up at this point, amusing Stephenfurther. He couldn’t help continuing.<br/>
“Then you lost to the Grandmaster,” Stephen added.<br/>
That caused Loki to pause in his anger, his face turning to confusion for a moment. “How did I lose there?”<br/>
“I heard you were relegated to being his boy toy.” Stephen waggled his eyebrows insultingly<br/>
Far from further igniting Loki, that caused him to smile as if recalling a fond memory. “I don’t call that a loss at all, a side-benefit of a brilliant strategy actually.”<br/>
Just … no.<br/>
“Also, I did win against Surtur and Thanos,” Loki continued.<br/>
“With a lot of extra help,” Stephen interjected.<br/>
Loki growled; Stephen chuckled. The truth was, this was fun, certainly more fun than he’d had in a while. So much so that Stephen was hesitant to start with what he knew would be an actual fight.<br/>
The issue was that Stephen wasn’t entirely certain what the outcome would be. It wasn’t a sure loss, Stephen trusted his magic and instincts enough for that. Yet it wasn’t a sure win either. Back when he had been a surgeon, Stephen had never entered into any situation unless he fully believed he would win. He’d had to lighten that policy as a sorcerer and part-time superhero, but it still made him deeply uncomfortable. So, it was time to try a different approach.<br/>
“Loki, just give me back the necklace, go back home to Thor and we’ll pretend this never happened,” Stephen cajoled.<br/>
Really that would be the best case scenario for everyone, he was sure. He didn’t like Loki; he certainly didn’t trust the god, however, he would much prefer reluctant allies to enemies. Loki might lose more often than not, but he created quite a mess in the process. Plus, Thor would pout forever and no one wanted that.<br/>
To Stephen’s surprise, Loki didn’t sneer at his offer or even look like he was considering it. Actually, he went completely stiff, though Stephen had no idea why that might be. Shit. There was something more going on here than Stephen knew. He really hated not knowing.<br/>
“I can’t; I either go back with this necklace or not at all,” Loki said firmly.<br/>
That was surprisingly straightforward, still... “What does it do?”<br/>
“If you don’t know, I’m not going to help you,” Loki teased, his tone immediately losing all seriousness. “Bad guy, remember?”<br/>
Two could play at that game. “Maybe that’s just because you don’t know yourself.”<br/>
“Why does it have to do anything? Maybe I just wanted it because it’s my color.” Loki grinned and held the amulet up to his face, batting his eyelashes dramatically to demonstrate how the green complimented his eyes.<br/>
“So, you don’t know what it does?” Stephen hedged. He wasn’t sure if Loki actually was a little crazy or just acting like it. Then again, that was par for the course with Loki.<br/>
“You should know, Strange. It’s here, therefore it has power, and I always love power.”<br/>
“Is this another sibling rivalry thing? A power struggle?” Stephen really hoped not.<br/>
At that, Loki snarled and started glimmering with his magic. Stephen knew the god was going to teleport, and he had to act fast. He surrounded them in the mirror dimension and leapt forward to grab for the necklace. As soon as he touched it, he too was surrounded in Loki’s magic. He felt a pull behind his navel as Loki tried to teleport. Both the pull and the feeling of magic around him increased until he was sick to his stomach with it, but he held tight to the necklace in his hand, not daring to let Loki wrench it away. The nausea increased tenfold until blessedly, Stephen blacked out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you’d like to talk with more Strangefrost loving peoples, come join the <a href="https://discord.gg/uMjWvx"> Froststrange Sanctum </a> discord server!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Anyone else excited about that Explicit rating? First one in almost a year!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen woke up with a groan. His head swam and his stomach roiled. He was fairly sure if he even tried to raise his head, he would heave up the contents of his stomach. He didn’t want to open his eyes and face what had happened and where Loki could be right now. The God of Mischief loose on Earth with an item of unknown power was one of his worst nightmares, but until he opened his eyes, it was just relegated to possibility. Shroedinger’s Loki, as it were. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Welcome to Hel,” a familiar voice drawled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki was still here. Stephen really couldn’t be sure if that was a good or bad thing. The fact that it was unexpected led Stephen to believe it was probably a bad thing, for him at least. Loki wasn’t generally the type to stick around for revenge if he could get away scott free. So something was very wrong. Stephen debated pretending he passed out again, but Loki would probably see right through him. He was a fair liar, but a terrible actor. So, he had no choice but to finally open his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first thing he noted was: green. Everything around him was tinted in it. The sky was vast green nothingness; when Stephen looked around, the ground was green, rocky flatness. Loki was the only bit of non-green interest as far as the eye can see, and of course, he had quite a bit of the color to him as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell is supposed to be red and hot,” Stephen argued as he sat up, groaning. Also, a lot more interesting than this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe yours is,” Loki countered, reminding Stephen that the Norse believed in Hel, just the one L, but otherwise a very similar concept. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Somehow I don’t think we’re there either.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen managed to get to his feet, feeling every single one of his years right to his bones. Loki, annoyingly, was standing with his arms crossed, looking like he had done nothing more taxing than window-shopping. Made sense, Loki looked a bit younger than him anyways. He probably felt a lot younger too. Just another way he was endlessly annoying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a moment for Stephen to realize what was missing; he blamed the possible head injury. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Loki, what have you done with the talisman?” He asked, rushing to his feet in alarm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Loki smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes I would, considering you got us into this mess because of that damn thing!” Stephen was losing his patience at an alarming rate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got us into this mess? You’re the one who stranded us to whatever this place is,” Loki growled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t. I just tried to stop you from teleporting and you brought me here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did not!” Loki argued. “I don’t even know where here is, but it isn’t one of the Nine Realms and therefore, I couldn’t have teleported here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck. Stephen really hoped that Loki was lying about that, but he suspected that wasn’t the case. Why would Loki reveal a weakness like that? Stephen had no idea that Loki wasn’t able to move outside of the Nine Realms. He wondered what was so special about those specific nine planets that Loki couldn’t replicate elsewhere. Stephen, however, could go practically anywhere, given knowledge of the destination and enough energy. The problem was, he had no idea where they were. As far as he knew, it would be impossible for him to send them somewhere unintentionally, especially when he had no idea where. In addition, this didn’t just feel like another world; Stephen couldn’t really explain it but he sensed that this was another dimension entirely. Call it experience. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It must have been some combination of our magic. Damn it; that is going to make this really hard to solve. It’s still not going to distract me from the talisman, however. Where is it, Loki?” Stephen really didn’t want to have to rummage through any pockets that the skin-tight leather get-up might have, but he definitely would if necessary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t I like to know?” Loki grumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen started clenching his fists in frustration before wincing and releasing them. Loki’s sharp eyes immediately locked onto Stephen’s hands, but he didn’t say anything. The main problem now was which comment was the lie? Did Loki know or not know? Stephen really couldn’t tell. It wasn’t any particular blow to his ego, despite how Stephen prided himself on being able to read people. Even Thor had a hard time reading the god of lies and he was both older and Loki’s brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what? Fine, shall we?” Stephen changed tactics and gestured into the distance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shall we what?” Loki asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Walk? Maybe figure out where we are?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki scoffed as only a spoiled brat could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, how would you propose figuring out where we are?” Stephen asked tightly, struggling to not clench his hands again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not by wasting my energy pointlessly,” Loki replied flippantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it. I’m going to die here. Surrounded by green,” Stephen bemoaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, the light is quite nice,” Loki replied looking around like someone commenting on pleasant weather. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really can’t help it, can you? You just have to be contrary!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Loki responded petulantly, “I absolutely can help it; I just choose not to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What good are you then? Since we defeated Thanos you just live to cause petty disruptions and minor annoyances. At least when you were crazy and evil you had purpose!” Stephen hissed. This wasn’t fun anymore. This was damn frustrating and he couldn’t help but feel that Loki was enjoying that far too much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, Loki suddenly looked like he was very much not enjoying this part. In fact, Loki looked deeply hurt. It surprised Stephen. He was fairly sure he had never seen such emotion on the trickster’s face. Before he could comment on it, Loki turned around and stalked away. Stephen watched him go until he realized that he was staring at Loki’s ass, which was unfortunately right there, the black leather standing out in particular against the green backdrop. So, he turned away before he could contemplate that any further. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lots of tension, sexual and otherwise. But hopefully you enjoyed the banter as much as I enjoyed writing it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Obviously, he was going to have to figure this out on his own. What Stephen lacked in experience, at least compared to Loki, he certainly made up with sanity. So the sorcerer started his tests logically. He tried portalling home, but got nothing more than the barest orange sparks. The feeble spurts reminded him a bit too much of his early days at Kamar-Taj and so he moved on. He couldn’t access the mirror dimension; he couldn’t contact Wong. Yet, the Cloak still worked, lifting him up and moving as it usually did. He could also call his bands and shields, though their power too seemed dampened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Stephen stopped actively casting, he slumped down next to a rock to catch his breath. It was then that he realized he felt a tugging sensation. It felt like a line tied to his navel pulling him towards where Loki had run off. That really couldn’t be good. It meant there was more to what brought them here than a simple botched transport. Still, if that’s where the magic was leading him, he might as well follow. It wasn’t like he was going to get anywhere fast on his own at this rate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Stephen started off in the direction he was being pulled towards. Something felt off as he was walking. It was like he was looking at the world through a photographic lens, distorting more than just the color. It took him traveling for several minutes before he could nail down the issue. The scenery never changed. Stephen could tell he was traveling, could feel the pull getting weaker as he got closer to Loki, but from his perspective everything else stayed put. The rocks he had just leaned against never got any farther. The hills in the distance never got any closer. This was very much not good. Still the negative consequences paled in comparison to the person he was stuck here with, the one who was currently ass in the dirt, arms folded, sulking like a child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still pouting?” Stephen asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Loki turned and rose, far too gracefully, to glare at Stephen. “I don’t pout, I’m brooding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The lip says you’re pouting,” Stephen disagreed, and far too adorably, his mind added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My magic isn’t working right,” Loki blurted in a serious non-sequitur. Still, at least it was actual problem-solving. Stephen explained what he had experienced as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But do you feel something?” Stephen asked. The tugging had diminished now that he was near Loki, but it wasn’t entirely gone</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other than extreme annoyance?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen gave that comment all the attention it deserved, i.e none. “I felt a pull towards you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Loki raised an eyebrow at the double entendre but apparently chose to let it lie. See? They could have an adult conversation. “I may have felt some tugging; it increased as I got farther. It was the only way I could tell that I had made any distance. There’s nothing here, not even space. I believe it must be a-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Construct,” Stephen finished for him. Both eyebrows were raised in an insultingly surprised look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t give me that, I know a thing or two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe even three, but what you know is a drop of water compared to the ocean of my knowledge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>”Yes, well give me a thousand years,” Stephen grumbled, really not wanting to travel down that rabbit hole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will not!” Loki denied fervently, as if he could even if he wanted to. “Fortunately for me, time is on my side. That silver at your temples tells me you have more years behind than ahead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>”Yes, well, as delightfully morbid as this discussion is, my natural lifespan won't matter much if we don’t get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Loki shrugged, just shrugged. Now what the fuck was he to make of that? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do want to get back right?” Stephen was surprised he even had to ask the question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What's the point? It’s not like I’m any use,” Loki recalled Stephen’s earlier words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be petulant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop speaking to me as if I am your junior!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I bet you have more years ahead than behind, hm? That makes me older. Wait, shit, you aren’t actually a kid, right?” It was the first Stephen had really thought about proportional Asgardian ages. He had no idea what he’d do with the info, but suddenly he had to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m 1,056; of course, I’m not a child!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but how long do you guys live? Proportionally, what are you?” Now that the thought had entered Stephen’s head, his mind was spinning around it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An adult…” Loki spat in a way that made him seem anything but. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A youngish adult,” Loki admitted after a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen groaned. “Oh god, this all makes sense now, you’re a teenager.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A moody, rebellious teenager.” Stephen continued, ignoring Loki’s continued protests. “I’m screwed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Continue this and I won't tell you what I know about the stone,” Loki spluttered finally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made Stephen pause a moment, before he said, “you really aren’t helping your case.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We're finally getting into the meat of the story, but hopefully the banter stays up to snuff as that seems to be the most popular aspect of this story : ) Thank you all for your lovely comments!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Arms crossed, the sorcerer tapped his foot impatiently while Loki appeared to mull over actually providing useful information. While Stephen was mostly teasing about the whole teenager thing, there were some definite indicators that he wasn’t entirely off base about Loki being younger than him, mentally at least. Thor too, acted a bit younger than he appeared to be and Stephen couldn’t help but wonder how the Asgardians’ ages truly scaled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Loki appeared to come to some conclusion because he started speaking. “If I tell you what the stone does, you cannot ask me what I wanted to do with it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No deal. My job is to protect the world from threats, that includes wayward trickster gods.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear to you that I mean no harm to Earth or any of its inhabitants with the stone,” Loki said solemnly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen was actually a bit taken aback that Loki would be so straightforward about it, still... “That’s the thing about being the god of lies, no one believes you when you say things like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate that moniker.” Loki groaned. “I don’t lie any more than any other royal or politician.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which was probably fair, but still meant that Loki lied more than the average person. There was probably a story behind Loki’s receiving the title, but at the moment, Stephen really didn’t care. “That still makes you a liar and I have no reason to agree to your terms, you want to get out of here as much as I do so you will tell me anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, I’ll just lie about that then,” Loki said nonchalantly, as if he had anticipated Stephen’s response from the beginning. “It’s called the Talisman of Abraxas. In short, it controls emotions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emotion control wasn’t quite mind control, but it still got Stephen’s heart racing. Make someone love you and they’d do almost anything for you, no mind control needed. Yet, as much as Stephen wished otherwise, Loki wasn’t an idiot. He’d know what conclusions Stephen would come to. He should be standing there looking challenging and unapologetic. Instead, he looked uncomfortable, antsy, as if he was just waiting for Stephen to delve into what he wanted it for. It could all be an act, but he was almost sure that Loki’s motives were more personal. He just didn’t understand what they could be. He could ask, but Loki had already said he would lie so what was the point?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, do you know anything more specific about it? Who’s Abraxas?” Stephen asked.  Because for now, it really didn’t matter what Loki wanted it for. Stephen wouldn’t let him have it, and what he really needed to know was how to fix this. Stopping Loki would come later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen expected suspicion, maybe relief, at the fact that he was, just for now, dropping the matter. He did not expect the bright, honest smile. It only lasted for a moment before Loki seemed to collect himself and formed his expression into something more neutral, but Stephen wasn’t sure he’d ever forget it. The smile changed Loki’s face into something almost unrecognizable. The god was objectively attractive before, but a real smile made him into something beautiful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not really relevant,” Loki said finally, drawing Stephen’s attention back to the conversation at hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen narrowed his eyes at Loki. “How about I decide whether it’s relevant or not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki sighed. “Fine, but you’ll see this is just a waste of time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki paused as if he hoped that Stephen would concede. Stephen just waved his hand in a ‘go on’ gesture and Loki groaned like the teenager he claimed not to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Abraxas has never even existed in this universe. He comes from a different one where he was the embodiment of destruction,” Loki began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, a kindred spirit then?” Stephen teased. Loki pursed his lips at him and Stephen shrugged apologetically. Yeah, that probably wasn’t helpful if he actually wanted the information. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Basically, he just wanted destruction. Specifically the destruction of his own reality as well as all parallel realities. Fortunately, a team of superheroes in that reality was able to stop him from his goals. Which, you can tell because we still exist.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, if this didn’t happen in our reality, how do you know about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I read,” Loki offered. Stephen glared. “Sometimes what I read doesn’t necessarily come from this universe. I’ve had a lot of time on my hands lately and there’s a limited supply of material.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All of the books in our universe over the span of its entire existence wasn’t enough for you?” Stephen asked wryly. Loki just grinned. Damn it. “So, how does the amulet come into play if he never existed in this reality?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How does anything come to be here? How do I get the books? People messing around with things they probably shouldn’t, for knowledge, power or just fun. Somehow this amulet that is associated with him came to be here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can buy that someone brought it here, but what I don’t understand is how emotional control has anything to do with the embodiment of destruction. I feel like an amulet imbued with his powers would have much different effects,” Stephen pondered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki smiled like Stephen had just gotten a pop quiz answer correct. “My thoughts exactly! So, I’m thinking that whomever brought this amulet to our reality misunderstood its purpose. It’s associated with Abraxas, but maybe it isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>of</span>
  </em>
  <span> Abraxas. Maybe it was one of the tools they tried to use to subdue Abraxas. It grants emotional control, mostly commonly it seems to be used to calm the wearer, so maybe-” Loki cut off as he seemed to realize what he had revealed while he had been showing off what he knew. Stephen could relate. He also appreciated having his suspicions confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen knew there was a lot of history between Thor and Loki, history being a more relevant term for them than most, considering the timeframes involved. Yet, Stephen had thought that they were doing better. Loki had given every indication of playing nice, if only for his brother’s sake. Or he had, until he had broken into the Sanctum. If Stephen were a betting man, which he preferred not to be, he would have put money on the one thing Loki cared about in this universe being his brother. He suspected that the only thing that might make Loki risk that was if things already weren’t going well with Thor. Obviously, Loki believed his emotions were responsible, hence the amulet. It was sad, but Loki was right, it didn’t really help them get out of their current situation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then something clicked. That tugging they felt towards one another, the green hue of the construct they were in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re in the amulet,” Stephen breathed, looking up at Loki in startlement. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So... who guessed it?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I may be a bit biased, but to me, this is where things get good. I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Loki didn’t look surprised at all, in fact he looked annoyed. Stephen suspected he had just made that connection himself and was pissed that Stephen had mentioned it first so Loki couldn’t take the credit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“The stone wants us to connect-” Loki started. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Emotionally…” Stephen finished. “How the hell are we going to manage that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Back in the good times we did it by having orgies,” Loki said wistfully. Stephen gave him an unamused look. “What? Sex forms a very powerful, magical connection. Plus it’s fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“We’re not having sex,” Stephen insisted, despite the fact that his heart sped up a bit at the thought. Mild attraction was one thing, sex was another entirely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Is it because I’m a man?” Loki asked with what looked to be honest curiosity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“It’s because you are you,” Stephen shot back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki glared for a moment, before it melted into a smirk that made Stephen very nervous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I don’t have to be,” Loki said in an unmistakably sultry voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Before Stephen had a chance to question the statement, Loki moved toward him, his body shifting. It was amazingly fluid how his body shrunk and leaned out, his shoulders thinning, his hips widening, hair lightening, until suddenly, Christine Palmer was sitting in his lap. The only way Stephen could truly tell that this wasn’t actually Christine was that he’d never seen such an overtly sexual, dominating look on her face. Stephen paused long enough to feel a bitter pang of regret before reacting to the dirty trick and shoving Loki off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki shifted pretty much as soon as he hit the ground, but looked merely annoyed at the gesture which just pissed Stephen off even further. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Where the hell do you get off? How dare you use her like that?” Stephen spluttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I was just picking the one person I am aware of you being attracted to. Thought I would make it easier on you,” Loki huffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Easier?” Stephen scoffed. How could anyone possibly think seeing an ex, seeing that serious of one would be easy? “Haven’t you ever been in love before?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki snorted. “Of course not; it isn’t in my nature.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You love Thor,” Stephen prompted. A different kind of love, certainly, but Stephen suspected Loki hadn’t had much by way of serious romantic relationships. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Thor is convenient. He’s king so it suits me to stay on his good side.” Loki insisted haughtily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And when he wasn’t? You fought beside him for years.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Familial obligation, and I ditched that as soon as I was aware it was no longer necessary.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said it yourself, you helped him against the Dark Elves,” Stephen pressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was for Frigga.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you loved her then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki paused and took a breath. “I owed her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your father,” Stephen started and then backstepped at Loki’s growl. “Sorry, I mean Odin. You could have killed him rather than putting him into an old folks home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thor would have killed me if I killed his father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if you don’t love Thor what would that matter? You don’t need him or at least, you didn’t then. You could have taken off at any time once you were loose from Asgard and he thought you dead.” Stephen wasn’t giving up. It was stubborn and he wasn’t entirely sure why it mattered to him to have Loki admit it, but it did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanos. He would have killed me if I ran.” Even with the titan dead, Loki still couldn’t fully suppress his shiver at that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so now that he’s dead, why do you hang around?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boredom? Lack of better options? Obviously, I got over that. Now I’ve done something that will get me kicked off Earth for the duration. Time for life to get interesting again.” Now that Stephen knew what a real smile looked like on Loki, the fake one that currently painted his face grated on him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, Stephen decided to leave that one be. He didn’t really intend on getting Loki into trouble for the theft, assuming the trickster actually helped them get out of here alive and didn’t manage to get the amulet from him in the end. Yet he still felt the need to prove his suspicions as to </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he stole the amulet. He was so certain it was for Thor, which meant that Loki had to love his brother. Stephen just couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on not admitting it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You just have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Stephen sighed, not quite admitting defeat just yet. He was willing to play the long game. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m the god of stories as well,” Loki said. He was still on the ground, but sitting casually now so that it looked like a choice. Stephen was a bit sick of standing so he decided to drop down to the ground next to the god. The cloak fluttered around him agitated before settling as well. Loki looked at Stephen suspiciously like he was trying to determine how this was a part of his plan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is anything you say actually true?” Stephen asked finally.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought we already covered this. It all has some flavor of the truth. Else, how would I ever get anyone to believe me?” It was Loki’s turn to sigh. Good, maybe Stephen was wearing him down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I don’t; not about this,” Stephen maintained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re more suspicious than most. It’s why I like you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki smiled at him, and Stephen was hard-pressed to find the lie in it. Which made him wonder. If they were in the stone, and it controlled emotions, could it be that their own emotions were being manipulated? There was that tugging sensation, that tangled string, it nagged at him still. Stephen just knew the stone wanted them to connect, so how far could it take that? How embedded was the string?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No you don’t,” Stephen still answered, despite his concern, or maybe he said it hoping Loki would prove him wrong. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki huffed in what was almost a laugh. “No, I really don’t, but I am attracted to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That actually made Stephen feel a bit better. That Stephen could believe, that Loki wouldn’t have to actually like someone to have sex with them. Stephen had never been able to compartmentalize like that. That still didn’t completely dispel his concerns. Wasn’t he finding Loki considerably less annoying as time went on?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you ever been attracted to a man?” Loki asked suddenly, interrupting Stephen’s train of thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn it, why did they have to circle back around to that? Stephen weighed his options and decided that he couldn’t keep complaining about Loki’s lies if he didn’t tell the truth himself. “Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki smiled the smile of the vindicated. “But you’ve never fucked one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen squinted at him. “You sound very sure of that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am,” Loki said simply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More hedging. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, no I haven’t,” Stephen admitted. “I’m not opposed; there’s just never been anyone I’ve liked enough to take it that far.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what do you find attractive in a man?” Loki asked finally, waggling his eyebrows dramatically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen rolled his eyes even as he thought, ‘you, unfortunately’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you care?” He asked. It wasn’t a lie, it was a misdirection. Completely within the rules. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want me to be Christine, but I could be a man you find attractive,” Loki offered, looking a bit too nonchalant about the whole thing, making Stephen wonder why he cared so much. Because he had to care to work so hard at making it seem like he didn’t care. Right? Ugh, this whole interaction was giving him a headache. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But underneath it would still be you. Maybe you are able to summon that much self-delusion, but I’m just not capable.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“True, but I also managed to delude myself into thinking I was a beloved member of a royal family that was a completely different species than I am. No mortal could ascend to such lofty heights as the self-delusion I’m capable of.” Once again, heavy words said far too casually. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You opened that can of worms and yet I get the feeling if I asked a single question about it you’d bite my head off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Intelligent too, another attractive trait.” Loki smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And right back to that. “Still not going to fuck you, Loki.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pity, I have the feeling we’re going to be alone and bored for a very long time.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What can I say? Loki is a persistent bastard, but so is Strange.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They left it on that note for a bit, both lost in their own heads. Stephen was weighing their potential avenues out of here, what Loki’s objections would be to all of them and contemplating eternity spent with a man who attracted him and infuriated him in equal measure. Loki was… Stephen looked over at the god, trying to tell what was going on behind those seemingly neutral green eyes. Figuring out a plan for world domination? Too on the nose. Composing an opera? Reminiscing on his favorite cat videos? Unraveling the secrets of computer assisted customer service? Stephen snorted, all the green was obviously driving him crazy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Finally, Stephen just had to address it. They couldn’t just sit in the dirt like children for the rest of their lives. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We both agree that the key to this is intimacy, right? Well, if the stone is all about emotions, what about emotional intimacy?” It felt obvious, but with Loki leaping right to sex and that being the majority of their resulting conversation, he felt like it needed to be said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like sharing our feelings? Having an emotional heart to heart?” Loki wrinkled his nose. “Not going to happen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so who’s being difficult now?” Stephen asked, working himself up to anger. Again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m perfectly willing to have sex with you. I have no interest in anything resembling closeness.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s healthy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you telling me you are at all willing to expose yourself to me?” Loki asked, getting riled up himself. Good! Wait, why was that good? Maybe Loki wasn’t the only one with issues here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you were clear on the no-sex,” Stephen answered, just to be obtuse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Emotionally expose,” Loki drawled in a tone that very distinctly added ‘smart-ass’ at the end. “There’s no way that you’d be willing to confide anything re-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s my fault,” Stephen interrupted; he squeezed his hands a bit to try to stop how they shook even harder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki just frowned at him, not speaking. His eyes went straight to the hands that shook despite Stephen’s efforts, gaze boring into them, but still he remained silent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My hands,” Stephen began again, as if Loki hadn’t already drilled into what Stephen had been saying. “The reason why they are like this. I have only myself to blame. Sometimes the worst wounds are those you do to yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I beg to disagree,” Loki said with a laugh that had absolutely no mirth. “The worst wounds are from those you love and trust. You think that because they love you, they could never betray you, so it comes as a surprise blow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Typical. Stephen snorted in frustration. “So everything has to be about you, huh? I try to open up and you just turn it around into whining about your own problems yet again. We all know you have daddy issues. How about you try recognizing that other people have problems and gain a little perspective?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once again, Loki was quiet. Finally, he sighed. “You’re right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen was baffled. He had a mad thought that he was really missing his phone. He’d have loved to record this. He’d set it as Loki’s ringtone. Then he realized the implications of having a ringtone for Loki and had to flee those thoughts. Obviously, all the uninterrupted green was driving him crazy. At least he was fairly sure that the stone wasn’t making him like Loki. The god was pissing him off with far too much frequency for that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am, at my core, a selfish creature. I want what I believe I cannot have and when I do have something, I believe there must be something wrong with it or I wouldn’t have it in the first place. My nature isn’t conducive to any degree of closeness. I’ve never been close with anyone really.” Loki continued, before stopping and staring into the distance for a moment. “No, that too is a lie. I was close to my mother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who was complicit in the lie about your birth,” Stephen finished for him. Yeah, he could see how that would be an issue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki smirked then, his body language going casual and cocky. “There, I shared, now tell me how you hurt your hands.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen knew what Loki wanted him to think. He wanted Stephen to believe the sharing was all an act. Just him meeting Stephen’s request but not really confiding anything. Stephen was pretty sure that was the only lie Loki had told; in this particular conversation, at least. Still, it wasn’t much. Certainly nothing that Stephen didn’t already know, but it was a start. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a boring old Midgardian car accident,” Stephen said as if he was going to leave it at that. Loki’s look said that wasn’t going to be acceptable, not that Stephen expected any less. “I was at the top of my game; on the top of the world. I was certainly too important to stop working, even while I was driving. I was trying to pass someone who dared slow me down by going the speed limit and I wasn’t paying enough attention to oncoming traffic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was worst case scenario, really,” Stephen chuckled darkly. “I hit the semi head on, went off the cliff, into water. I was lucky to survive, though no one could quite convince me of that at the time. Most of my body had only minor injuries comparatively, but my hands,” Stephen held them up in all their shaky glory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He decided to end the story there. He could have told more, about how he ruined himself financially, pushed away the few people who actually gave a damn about him. Even then it would have been a relatively short story. Mostly, it was all  just humiliating. His arrogance, his recklessness. Still, it wasn’t something he had shared in even this minor bit of detail with anyone in his new life, anyone still living at least. Stephen finished his story, and waited. He then waited some more before wondering why he had ever thought Loki would reciprocate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well?” Stephen asked finally. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well what?” Loki asked with a deceptively innocent look on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your turn,” Stephen prodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something like that?” Loki snorted. “I don’t think so. I told you about my mother. That’s enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It can’t be something small or something I already know. That isn’t connection.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still say my way would have us far more connected,” Loki said with a leer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As flattering as it is that you want to get in my pants so badly, the stone is all about emotion, therefore emotional connection is the key.” Stephen was certain of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki hummed thoughtfully. “Pleasure is an emotion… ok fine, how about a compromise?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What could possibly be a compromise here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You suck me off while I tell you stories from my childhood?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The laugh that came from Stephen was more like a bark than a true laugh. It forced its way through the shock of Loki’s statement. Still, once it was let loose there was no stopping it, Stephen just kept laughing. His sides started hurting and he looked up at Loki expecting derision, maybe even offense, but instead, Loki was smiling. Not a smirk, but a real happy smile, like he was pleased to have amused Stephen. Once again, it struck Stephen how much it changed his whole face. He looked younger, lighter, and yes, more attractive, damn it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>These little insights into the person behind the haughty mask possibly annoyed Stephen even more than the facade. Because he actually liked this person that Loki could be, or maybe even was, but hid inside. Yet, it wasn’t like he could blame the man. He knew only too well how helpful being a complete ass could be in providing distance. He may not know everything behind why Loki wanted that, but he knew enough to fill in the gaps. Still he wanted to know more, and while he was afraid that it might be the amulet manipulating his emotions, the idea that it wasn’t was far more terrifying.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am both very excited and very terrified for this chapter so... enjoy?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen sighed; he was doing that a lot lately, but he was pretty sure his time with Loki would be like that for the foreseeable future. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Interesting mental picture aside, I don’t think that’s going to work for me.” Stephen said wryly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Oh, I amuse the hell out of you and you know it,” Loki smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  
  <span>“Any tangential amusement aside, I still don’t want to spend the rest of my life trapped in a construct with someone I am just mildly amused by.” Loki’s face brightened as if that gave him an idea. Wasn’t that terrifying? “Oh god, what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Maybe we’ve been going about this the wrong way? We’ve been trying to go against our nature to connect emotionally, why don’t we express our emotions in a much more natural mode?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I’m not following…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“We argue, we fight. Why don’t we take that up a notch? Hit it right in the gut, as it were?” Loki asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>It was an idea, a terrible idea, but an idea nonetheless. “Why do I think this is more likely to end in our deaths than our freedom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki shrugged. “Life is about risks. The higher the risk, the higher the reward.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Has that </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> paid off for you like you think it should?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually taken a risk in your life?” Loki asked aggressively and Stephen’s heart rate shot up. Loki was raring for a fight and this was already way too close for comfort. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Some of us actually think through our actions. Other people find meaning in their life beyond being a troublemaker,” Stephen shot back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“What? Like being a hero? Love?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen laughed. He knew it would piss Loki off more but he couldn’t help it. Oh, how the worm had turned. It was eerily similar to the final argument he had with Christine before he had taken off to Kamar-Taj. Loki didn’t say ‘love’ nearly as insultingly as Stephen had asked ‘you?’. Then again, Christine had actually loved him. While Stephen didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> Loki, there wasn’t much fondness between them. Yet. Unfortunately, he was starting to understand the bastard, though. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Loki didn’t appear to get angrier. He smiled; it wasn’t a nice smile. “How about with that lovely woman, Christine? You speak of love and yet you let her go. Even as you appear to still carry a torch for the woman.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a nice try, but it wasn’t quite right. Yes, Stephen regretted how things had gone with Christine, he would have liked to have gone about it entirely differently. However, he had long ago moved on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, because I didn’t like that you took on her shape to try to have sex with me? You really don’t know the meaning of love at all, do you? You can’t possibly contemplate caring for someone as anything more than a meal ticket or a quick fuck. It’s a wonder Thor put up with you for this long. ”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen had snapped, but the minute the words left his lips, he wanted to take them back. He knew this had been Loki’s plan all along, to piss one another off, but that was just too much, too mean, but it was out there and Loki was staring at him open-mouthed, panting, but with this shattered look behind those green eyes. Stephen knew that no words could possibly undo what he had just said, and despite that haunted look in Loki’s eyes, Stephen could tell he was working himself up to counter. So, he took a risk. He shot forward, grabbing Loki’s neck before the other man could flinch. Before Stephen could think too long on the consequences, he pulled Loki’s head forward into a brutal kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss was, damn it, it was a revelation. Stephen didn’t know how a man’s lips could be so soft, could fit so well against his own. Loki recovered from his surprise quickly, surging into Stephen’s body, grabbing him by the hips to pull them closer. Stephen groaned. This was a terrible idea; this was wonderful. He wanted nothing more than to keep doing this. He knew if this continued long enough, however, that Loki would gain perspective and likely stab him with one of those knives he seemed to have an infinite number of hidden on his person at all times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen summoned all of his will power and managed to pull away. Loki looked surprisingly disappointed as well as tantalizingly rumpled. Fuck, Stephen had really stepped in it now. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki squinted at him suspiciously. “Because of what you said or because you didn’t like it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of what I said. It was…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh shut up, this is what I wanted anyways,” Loki said and pulled Stephen into another kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kissing Loki was…. Odd. Oh, what the fuck was he kidding? Kissing Loki was amazing. He felt like it should be weird. It was his first kiss with a man, well second now, and one he wasn’t particularly fond of, even if he was attracted. No, that wasn’t quite right either. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying </span>
  </em>
  <span>not to be fond of the god, and failing miserably. He already understood Loki far too well to really dislike him anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, it felt as natural as kissing a woman. Of course, there were differences, the hard chest, instead of softness, pressed against him. The additional hardness pressed against his hips. The novelty of the sensations just seemed to add excitement, rather than put him off. Stephen wasn’t quite sure how they ended up on the ground without ever parting their lips, but when he next came up for air, Loki was lying splayed on the sandy ground, with Stephen lying atop him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this how you like it?” Stephen asked, rolling his hips a bit for emphasis and fighting a moan at the sensation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“This is how I want it here and now,” Loki growled. “I figured it would be more comfortable this way for a virgin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Not a virgin,” Stephen argued automatically. So Loki was versatile, huh? That definitely led to some interesting thoughts for the future. He started to panic about how he was automatically considering future activities before deciding that his brain cells were better served by figuring out how to get Loki’s complicated leather clothing off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen worked at the buckles, with Loki writhing distractingly under him, until his hands started shaking with the strain. He pulled some magic to steady them; it still felt slow and thick as tar but it helped a bit, if not completely. He concentrated on trying to get Loki’s clothing off before his dick led a mutiny when there was a slim, pale hand placed delicately in his, halting his efforts. Stephen groaned in impatience, but it cut off when he caught Loki’s eyes. They were wide, the pupils blown with lust, but he still looked, soft? Concerned? Whatever the emotion there it was too close to true intimacy and they both looked away. Still, Loki pulled Stephen’s hands away from his clothing and in the next instant they were both bare. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The contrast of going from fully clothed to naked and pressed skin to skin was almost overwhelming. Stephen shuddered with the feel of it, not embarrassed in the slightest as he felt Loki do the same below him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Please tell me you didn’t banish our clothing for good?” Stephen managed to ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki waved a negligent hand to their right and Stephen looked over to see their clothing folded and piled neatly on the ground. Well, all except for the Cloak which was ruffling irritably, obviously annoyed with it’s sudden transportation. It didn’t retaliate, so Stephen figured it would leave them to their own devices. Loki seemed to agree as he firmly pulled Stephen’s chin to return his attention from their clothes to the god under him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Oh it was a sight. Smooth, pale skin without a single scar to mar its appearance. Lean, slim muscles that Stephen ran his hands down to see how they flexed under that skin. The coolness of Loki’s body was a nice contrast to the heat of his own skin. He wanted to fold himself into Loki like a blanket and just relish the feeling of once again being close to another person. His cock, however, had other intentions and was fervently demanding he get the show on the road, the tip slightly leaking as it rubbed over Loki’s belly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I don’t know about you, but I definitely didn’t think to pack lubrication before we ventured out on this little trip.” If he had known about the trip at all, it would never in a million years have occurred to him to pack the stuff anyways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I don’t know about you, but I’m a sorcerer and therefore am not limited by such paltry matters,” Loki smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen really wanted to kiss it off him, and promptly did so, not wanting to put any thought into why he was now wanting to kiss Loki’s smirk rather than punch it. It took a moment for his brain to catch up to what Loki had said, his blood was very much not making the brain a priority. He opened his mouth to say something when Loki took his hand and pulled it down to his ass. All memory of Loki’s words fled as Stephen teased the little hole there and found it already wet with lubrication. Sex magic. The possibilities were… intriguing to say the least. Stephen wasn’t going to ask Wong about it, but maybe some after hours delving into the library was in order. Later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen pressed, his finger slipping into Loki’s hole far more easily than he anticipated. Loki keened and Stephen pulled his finger almost all the way out before pressing in again, wanting to hear Loki make more of those sounds, Loki obliged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need prep,” Loki finally gasped after a few iterations. “I just need you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen had been enjoying himself immensely, but his dick throbbed at the words and he wanted nothing more than to fulfil Loki’s wish. Taking himself in hand, Stephen leaned back to line his cock at Loki’s entrance. He looked up at the god to confirm, but Loki just glared at him. So he started pressing in, slowly, because he wouldn’t put it past Loki to be too impetuous. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loki’s skin might have been cooler than Stephen was used to with humans, but his core was still hot. His vision whited at the edges as he pressed inside. While the concept was similar to that of sex with women, the feeling was different. Loki was tighter, less wet. There was more friction upon entrance and once again he was on the verge of feeling overwhelmed. Loki moaned, but didn’t seem to be suffering from the same overstimulation as Stephen. Apparently, he was going too slow because Loki thrust his hips up until he had taken Stephen to the root, his balls tapping on Loki’s ass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>They groaned together, holding still for a moment to enjoy the sensation. It was just for a moment, because Stephen really had to move, and now. Loki seemed to agree because every thrust in was met by an equally hard thrust of his own hips. It couldn’t be comfortable, lying in the sandy ground as he was, but he still managed to thrust his hips up with impressive force. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I’m not some weak mortal woman, Strange,” Loki panted. “Harder!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen rolled his eyes, but did as he was bid. He placed a hand on Loki’s hip for leverage, pressing him into the ground as he thrust harder. Loki practically mewled beneath him, which made the effort worth it. Stephen knew with Loki’s strength that he could never keep the god pressed to the ground if he didn’t want to, so Loki obviously liked a bit of manhandling as he stopped thrusting his hips off the ground, settling for smaller upward motions, little grunts issuing from his throat at each impact, letting Stephen know that it was a perfect angle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen sensed that Loki was close; he hoped that Loki was close because he certainly was. He decided to push the god over the edge by wrapping his hand around Loki’s cock. It was as slim and pale as the rest of him, long too, fitting the god perfectly. It was certainly no hardship to run his hand up and down the velvety smoothness of the skin. Especially when it made Loki’s noises louder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen bit his lip, fighting the climax that was building in his groin. He rubbed Loki’s dick a bit faster, slightly squeezing just under the head like he liked himself when Loki finally released with a shout, hot liquid pouring over Stephen’s hand and onto Loki’s belly. Stephen was finally able to stop holding back and it was just a couple of thrusts more before his hips spasmed out of his control and his orgasm washed over him. He had just enough brainpower to guess that Loki would not appreciate Stephen just collapsing on top of him. He managed to roll over, wincing as his shoulder hit the hard ground and his dick slipped out of Loki wetly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The two men laid side by side, panting lightly. Stephen was starting to drift off in a wave of contentment when he realized the problem. They were still in the alternate dimension. And now they had just further complicated matters by bringing sex into the equation. Fuck.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fuck indeed, Stephen</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter Nine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this was delayed what with posting 2 things last week! Hopefully the pillowtalk chapter makes up for it 😉</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Once Stephen finally had his breath, he nudged Loki’s side. The god turned to glare at him, but there was no heat behind the look. The man looked far too sated for that. It was definitely flattering, but ultimately unhelpful.</p><p>    “Please tell me you aren’t a cuddler,” Loki stated tiredly. </p><p>    Stephen chuckled. “Not really, no.” Yes, definitely. </p><p>“I can’t help but notice that the land around us is still undeniably green,” Stephen continued.</p><p>    “Glad to see that your powers of observation have not been dampened by sex.” Loki replied. </p><p>    “You know this means that your idea failed. Both your ideas failed actually. We fought and we fucked and we’re still here.” </p><p>    “Ok, apparently the afterglow portion is done,” Loki sighed and turned towards Stephen, propping himself up on his elbow. He was still deliciously, distractingly naked, but seemed completely comfortable with it. Stephen, however, afterglow definitely fading, couldn’t help but feel a bit inadequate by comparison. He was in good enough shape, the best shape of his life, in fact, now that combat training had replaced a lot of his research time, but he was still older and mortal. He had more scars than the ones on his hands, and not just from the accident. </p><p>    Still, Stephen turned a bit to face Loki head-on, not willing to show his insecurities. Loki’s lips curled up at the corner in a half smile as his eyes trailed down Stephen’s body. As the lip curled into a full blown smirk, Stephen wanted to preen. That face didn’t leave any room for doubt that Loki appreciated what he was seeing. It was one of the most straightforward and honest expression that Stephen had ever seen on Loki and he couldn’t help but be pleased. </p><p>    Unfortunately, there was still the task at hand. </p><p>    “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to try my idea now?” Stephen prodded lightly. </p><p>    “What the whole connecting emotionally thing? That sounds like the most miserable pillow talk that I could imagine.” Loki groaned, laying down once again on his back and staring at the green sky. </p><p>    “Well, then it suits the fact that we don’t have pillows,” Stephen responded. Loki snorted with amusement, which was a step in the right direction “Come on, Loki. Just start with one little thing. Something important to you, maybe something no one else knows.”</p><p>    “Thor gave you all the juicy details when he was arguing for my freedom on Earth.”</p><p>    “He may have told us the big stuff, but I know that Thor doesn’t know everything about you. He can’t possibly,” Stephen prodded, hoping to tap into Loki’s pride.</p><p>    “What is there to know? I lived; I died; I died again. Then once more for good measure.”</p><p>    “You know, most people only do that the once,” Stephen said wryly while wondering just how serious Loki was being. Did he mean that he actually died? Not just faked his various deaths? Would Loki ever tell him? It didn’t seem likely at this point.</p><p>    “Most people are boring,” Loki responded and Stephen chuckled. </p><p>    Loki turned his head to look over at Stephen, a small smile on his face, probably from making Stephen laugh. It was nice; this was nice. If he could just get Loki to open up, just a little bit, maybe they could do this on an actual bed. Stephen was well over fighting his growing feelings for the trickster. The sex had clinched it. He was attracted, he was fond. Loki made him laugh, when he didn’t fight it, better than perhaps anyone else had. How long had it been since he had really laughed before today?</p><p>    “You could…” Stephen started, realizing the risk he was taking of upsetting their current relaxed mood. “Maybe let me know why you wanted to steal the necklace in the first place?”</p><p>    Magic, especially for the less controlled, could often speak louder than words. Immediately, Loki’s garb materialized over his skin, hiding and protecting him once again. Loki sat up, stiff and guarded like he had been so very recently.  Stephen, unfortunately, was left bare, but sat up as well. The cloak decided this was unfair and wrapped itself around Stephen. It would do, for the moment. </p><p>    Once again, Stephen couldn’t tell what was going through Loki’s head. None of it showed on his face. Stephen guessed Loki was thinking it through, weighing his options. Or maybe he was playing a mental game of chess against himself. Stephen wondered if he was losing. A growl interrupted Stephen’s silly musings and he looked up at Loki. The god’s hand darted quickly out towards Stephen and he couldn’t help but flinch back. Loki’s hand wavered, chagrin appearing on his face briefly, before his hand continued it’s path to place two fingers to the center of Stephen’s head, one of the mind’s chi points. White light flashed through Stephen’s vision and when it cleared he found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom, though the ornate furniture in green and gold made it fairly clear just who’s bedroom it was. </p><p>“LOKI!” The shout came ringing from outside the room, startling Stephen, currently lounging on his bed. He looked down at himself and saw pale, unscarred hands and a green tunic. He could guess what had happened from there. Loki was projecting a memory into Stephen’s mind. Stephen’s mind, trying to make sense of the disparate data, was placing himself in Loki’s place to make sense of the perspective. </p><p>    Stephen/Loki winced. He couldn’t control the motion, but he could feel it on his face. Thoughts came to mind that were not his own, but certainly felt like it. </p><p> He had known this was coming; he had just rather thought he would be elsewhere at the time. To be fair, he still had time to be elsewhere, he had magic, but there was that nagging little voice of chaos in his head that he couldn’t seem to get rid of. The one that had gotten him into this mess in the first place. Still, he feigned surprise when Thor came barrelling into his room, eyes flashing and fists clenched tightly, likely to keep him from immediately lashing out at Loki.</p><p>    It was a peculiar sensation unlike anything Stephen had ever experienced. He knew who he was, yet at the same time he <em> was </em>Loki in this moment, experiencing not only the physical memory but his thoughts as well. As unnerving as it was, Stephen quickly lost himself in it, everything that was Stephen falling away. </p><p>    “Thor! What a pleasant surprise! Shouldn’t you be training?” He asked mildly. </p><p>    Thor took a visible pause to calm himself before responding. It was actually rather funny how hard he was trying not to turn this into a physical fight. Not a decade ago he would have been on Loki in an instant, fists flying. Such restraint, especially in the face of how obnoxious Loki was being, was almost enough to make him feel guilty… almost.</p><p>    “It is a little hard to train, brother,” Loki suppressed a snicker at how ‘brother’ came out rather like an insult. “When one’s warriors are missing.”</p><p>    “Missing! How odd. They are such dedicated warriors who love their great king so fiercely. I can’t imagine where they could possibly be. Have you searched all of New Asgard?” </p><p>    “Yes, in fact; enough to determine that New Asgard’s population of cats has suspiciously increased.”</p><p>    “I’m sorry, I thought we were talking about missing warriors. What do cats have to do with anything?” Loki’s innocent act was getting more overblown with every second.  Soon enough, Thor was going to explode and pummel him. Loki chuckled internally just imagining it. Loki was pretty sure that made him a masochist, but he mostly knew that already. </p><p>    Which, other than some pain, that may or may not be oddly satisfying, what would he accomplish? He’d be hurt physically; Thor would feel guilty and hurt emotionally; Loki would turn the warriors back anyways. It was all just a bit of fun, even if he was the only one who thought so. Yet, he was here only because of Thor’s love and patience. No matter what Thor had said in the past, Loki believed that Thor’s love would never truly be gone; his patience, however, was likely far less infinite. </p><p>    “Turn them back, Loki.” Thor sighed finally, his rage draining.</p><p>    For some reason that Loki couldn’t discern at the moment, that annoyed him. “Oh have a sense of humor, Thor. I’m sure they are having far more fun as kittens than they would beating each other with metal sticks,” Loki mused. </p><p>    “The only one having fun here is you. I can’t keep doing this, Loki. I can’t keep making excuses for your antics. It was bad enough after the fire-”</p><p>    “That was due to Valkyrie’s reaction, not my innocent joke. Really, you would have thought that she would be a little less twitchy after a few millennia,” Loki countered. </p><p>    “I’m not speaking about just the fire; that was the final straw.”</p><p>    Loki forced a chuckle. “Good one, brother.”</p><p>    “Enough, Loki! Are you trying to get yourself banished?” Thor burst out.</p><p>    Loki scoffed. Thor would never... would he? “I’m just so very bored.”</p><p>    “Then get a hobby,” Thor gritted out. Loki opened his mouth. “Get a different hobby, or I mean it, I will banish you from New Asgard.”</p><p>    “You know I can’t show my face anywhere else on Earth, not after what I’ve done,” Loki countered, a bit more weakly than before. Thor seemed deadly serious in a way that he hadn’t since they defeated Thanos. </p><p>    “I know. I guess you’d have to leave then.” To his credit, Thor didn’t look particularly happy about it, but he said it just the same and that ate at some small bit of softness left in Loki’s heart. </p><p>    “You act that like would be a punishment.” Loki shrugged his shoulders casually. “I don’t know why I haven’t left already. It’s not like I have anything keeping me here.”</p><p>    Thor’s shoulders slumped and he shook his head sadly. “You know I can’t make you stay. I just wish I knew why you kept doing this.”</p><p>    Thor looked at Loki as if he expected him to actually respond to that statement. When Loki didn’t provide one, Thor just turned and stalked out of the room. Loki stared at where his brother just departed for a long time. He had no idea how a simple prank had turned into this. It was a standoff. Loki either had to leave or admit to Thor that he cared. He wasn’t particularly fond of either option and unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone else to blame than himself. </p><p>    “I wish I knew myself, brother,” Loki whispered, even knowing it was too late. </p><p>    The memory stopped there, once again a rush of white flowed across Stephen’s vision. When he blinked it away he was back with Loki, who no longer looked angry, but tense and uncomfortable. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter Ten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You stole the necklace so you could stay in New Asgard. Stay on Earth, with Thor,” Stephen said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki just shrugged, then perhaps thought the better of it, because he spoke. “I love Thor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I know you do, Loki. Everyone knows you do, especially Thor,” Stephen found himself saying despite what they had argued about previously. He hadn’t really believed it anyways, everyone knew that Thor was the exception when it came to Loki. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki gave him a bitter smile. “But I am still so angry at him. I’m angry at the other Asgardians. Hel, I’m still furious with Odin and he’s dead. Everything already happened, it’s done, there’s nothing I can do about it. So, why am I still holding onto it? Why am I still so mad all of the time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki appeared to be genuinely entreating him for an answer, but Stephen didn’t really have one. He knew how hard it was to let go, but eventually he managed it. It had taken a very extreme life and career change, but he had managed it. No one could deny that Loki’s life had changed just as dramatically, but maybe even if time healed all wounds, it would take a bit longer to get over something that had been building for more than a thousand years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I hoped the necklace would help. That it could control my anger and let me live with my brother. But, of course, I screwed that up, just like everything else.” Loki looked down and Stephen really hoped that it wasn’t to hide tears. He didn’t know what he would do if Loki started crying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen shifted a bit in the dirt to get closer to Loki and awkwardly put an arm around his shoulder; he regretted the action almost immediately, but he couldn’t back down now. Loki looked up at him in surprise, thankfully his eyes were dry, but he didn’t pull away. If anything he huddled into Stephen’s body more. It warmed something inside Stephen and gave him the courage to speak again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Maybe, you don’t need some outside influence controlling your feelings,” Loki winced at that and Stephen suspected it had something to do with the Mind Stone, but felt that now wasn’t the time to get into it. “Maybe what you need is to recognize that it’s ok to be mad, and feel what you are feeling, but perhaps do it somewhere other than New Asgard when you are bombarded by those memories all the time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“It’s a nice thought, but I have nowhere else to go,” Loki sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“How about the Sanctum?” It slipped out before he could think better about it. It was what he wanted, even if it wasn’t necessarily the wisest move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You can’t possibly be serious. You don’t like me; you certainly don’t trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I don’t really know you, Loki. But I think I’m starting to. What you’ve shown me? The real parts at least, I’ve liked. This gets you out of New Asgard without having to leave the planet, and hey, I can keep my eye on you. Maybe in return you could teach me one of those things you were bragging about knowing more than me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hmmm…. Thor did suggest I take up a hobby,” Loki said, not addressing anything else that Stephen had just revealed. Typical. “Yes, I suppose I could take you on as a student.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“No, that’s not-” Stephen started, but Loki stood up and started pacing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Yes, I know just where I can start. I’ll have to brush up on the basics, it’s been forever since I’ve worked with someone of your level, but I’m sure I’m up to the task.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen sighed. Loki would frame this however he needed to feel better about the situation. “Is that a yes? You’ll stay with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki stopped pacing and turned to grin at him. “Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Suddenly, that pull behind Stephen’s navel that had never fully gone away increased exponentially. He started to feel nauseous in a way that felt uncomfortably familiar. The world twisted and Stephen was once again on the ground. However, now the ground was hardwood, rather than dirt and he was looking up at a very familiar ceiling as opposed to a green sky. Stephen groaned in discomfort. A hand appeared in his vision, he looked up and maybe shouldn’t have been surprised that Loki was now willing to help him off the ground, but he still was, just a bit. Still he took the hand and felt just as comforted by Loki’s smile as the help. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Fortunately, whatever magic from the stone that sent him back seemed to be nice enough not to keep Stephen’s clothes because he was fully dressed again. Sometimes, magic was just awesome. At the thought of the talisman, Stephen looked around for the green jewel in question. He spotted it on the ground just about where Loki had stolen it in the first place. He looked over at the god in question who was frowning down at the stone as well. While Stephen didn’t think that anything but genuine emotion could have gotten them back, he wasn’t entirely sure that when faced with the real world again, Loki wouldn’t change his mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was also the question of whether the stone really had been influencing their emotions. If that was the case, the fact that both he and Loki were no longer in contact with it should break the magic. It certainly couldn’t be something with much of an area of effect. Stephen knew he felt exactly the same as a moment ago. A sort of cautious excitement at the potential of having someone like Loki in his life. He was certain that his emotions were his own. But what about Loki? Separated from the stone, would any fondness that had developed on his end be wiped away?</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“So,” Loki said finally, turning fully so that his back was on the talisman. “Where’s my room?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen grinned, hoping the wave of relief that rushed through him didn’t show and gestured his hand to point down the hall to the various bedrooms that had been set up in the sanctum. Loki smiled back flirtily and took the lead down the hall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I’m only showing you what room is yours when you admit that I was right about what we needed to do to escape the construct.” Stephen teased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Loki scoffed. “You really need to get over your need for external validation, Strange. It’s quite childish.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Childish!” Stephen sputtered. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> are calling </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Stephen’s words trailed off as Loki pressed his lips to Stephen’s in a soft kiss. It wasn’t the heated kisses they had shared before. It was far softer, something that spoke of more than just lust and Stephen’s frustration practically melted away. He had the sinking suspicion that Loki was going to be able to get away with a lot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I think this room shall suit me nicely,” Loki said after he had pulled away. He shut himself behind the door before Stephen’s brain could come back online. It took a moment before he recognized the door he was standing in front of. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Loki! That’s my room!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    Then again, he had wanted a bed for next time...</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just the epilogue left!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a short little glimpse into Loki and Stephen's life together a bit down the line!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen landed on the floor with a grunt, his head reeling from the sensation. He looked up to see Loki lounging in his favorite chair, his legs swung up over the arm. He was trying very hard to look like he was reading, but the smirk was a clear giveaway. Stephen got up off the ground heavily. Loki looked over and startled obviously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Stephen, when did you get here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha. Cute revenge, make </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>fall for thirty minutes this time. Happy now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, you fell for thirty-one minutes,” Loki corrected. Stephen rolled his eyes. “Also, It wasn’t revenge, Stephen, it was just a lesson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? And what was the lesson, oh wise one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The lesson, young padawan,” Loki started. Stephen sighed, he really needed to limit Loki’s pop culture exposure. He blamed Stark. “Is that I can hold a grudge for a very long time. I am also far more patient than I seem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Consider it noted,” Stephen said with a laugh before collapsing on Loki’s lap. Yes, he forgave a bit easily, but it wasn’t as if he could really blame Loki. Falling continuously like that in blackness was disconcerting to say the least. Still, Loki’s grunt of discomfort was mildly affirming. Loki grumbled, but shifted to make the positioning more comfortable for them both rather than pushing him off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So when is Thor coming?” Stephen asked after a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This afternoon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how is it going with you two?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. It’s nice, spending time together without any strings or obligations, and being away from one another, only seeing each other occasionally, actually gives me time to miss him.”  Loki frowned as if something he said bothered him. Stephen suspected he knew what it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I won’t tell him you miss him,” Stephen assured him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh good. Wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.” Loki said, giving him a peck on the lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, you never answered my question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Loki frowned, “what question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you happy?” Stephen asked again, Loki thought back and chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am,” Loki responded with a soft smile of his own. “I mean, who wouldn’t be happy? I’m out from under the thumb of my overbearing brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, that’s not quite fair,” Stephen started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have all the resources and power of the Sanctum Santorum at my disposal.” Loki continued without paying the slightest bit of attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not quite-” Stephen tried again</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have an attractive sorcerer as my willing boytoy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t even bother to dispute that one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One could say that stealing the Talisman of Abraxas was my best idea yet,” Loki finished. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen just laughed. Loki was Loki. Stephen didn’t need a cat anymore, he had the god equivalent. Some things wouldn’t change, and as ridiculously sappy as it was, Stephen wouldn’t have it any other way. He just wouldn’t share that with Loki. Well, to be honest, he probably would. He was known to get a bit sappy after sex on occassion. Loki had also learned that he absolutely was a cuddler, but it was ok because despite his words otherwise, Loki was too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Stephen was brought out of his reverie by Loki’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen pressed his lips to Loki’s in a now familiar kiss. “My pleasure.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That's it! I hope you enjoyed my very first non-Frostiron fic! There are more coming, both StrangeFrost and others and of course, more Frostiron my OTP.</p><p>If you like StrangeFrost and want to chat about it on Discord join us at the <a href="https://discord.gg/KjcAQR">FrostStrange Sanctum</a> ! </p><p>Also, I'm all new and awkward but you can check me out on<a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/arabesqueangel">Tumblr</a></p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is just the first little introductory chapter, the rest get much longer from here. But I hope you enjoyed it! Note that rating... haven't done an explicit fic in so long! </p><p>Kudos to Salamandarink for the title idea! (Though I doubt they'll read this considering their opinion of Stephen Strange...)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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